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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. field — a subject
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — farmland
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — a trail
  15. field — for sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. rest — a break
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com